Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have been handed a fresh blow ahead of the first North London derby of the campaign as Riccardo Calafiori has been withdrawn from the Italian national team, it has been reported. The left-sided defender entered the November international break with a hip injury and fears continue to grow.
Rome-born Calafiori, signed from Bologna in the summer of 2024, has been a mainstay at left-back for the Spanish boss since the start of the campaign in August – and, with doubts over his potential involvement against Tottenham Hotspur, Arteta may be forced to return to the drawing board.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: In September 2024, Riccardo Calafiori became the first-ever Italian to score in the Manchester City – Arsenal fixture in history.
The defender, 23, has been managed carefully throughout the week at Milanello with Gennaro Gattuso's Italian national team, with him being kept away from full sessions for five full days in the hopes of avoiding any further damage, but Calafiori's hip problem is still not cleared, and he's not returning to his club prematurely.
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With the Gunners – who have finished second in back-to-back-to-back Premier League campaigns – top of the table and looking to retain their spot between now and the end of the season, Arteta and Co will be hoping to remain as unscathed as possible ahead of their impending, all-intense meeting with Spurs. But Calafiori may not be available.
According to Fabrizio Romano, who took to X (formerly Twitter), Calafiori has returned to north London to continue his rehabilitation ahead of their home fixture against their arch-rivals on Sunday 23 November. He wrote:
"Riccardo Calafiori has left Italy camp today and returns to London to be assessed by Arsenal staff. “He tried to be available but he can’t force now”, says Italy coach Gattuso. AFC staff informed + not anticipating a big problem or issue."
For Italy, the ex-AS Roma and Genoa ace missed their recent 2-0 win over Moldova and that will be the same for Gattuso and Co as they face table-topping Norway in their decisive World Cup qualifier at San Siro.
During his first year on English soil, Calafiori had to overcome his fair share of injury struggles as he missed 24 of Arsenal's 58 matchday squads in the 2024/25 campaign. He's suffered four knee problems, a troubling muscle injury and a calf issue since moving to Arsenal after an eye-catching Euro 2024 for Italy.
As things stand, the defender's sustained periods queuing for the treatment table have been parked this season, and he's featured in all 17 of his Premier League employers' matchday squads so far. In that period, he's started 12 of those matches – just four shy of what he achieved in the entirety of last term.
A player who could come in and replace the versatile Italian is youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, who will be keen to get some senior minutes under his belt ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Widely regarded as one of the best teenagers in world football, Arsenal's 19-year-old sensation is more than a capable replacement.
Looking beyond their test against Thomas Frank's Spurs, the fixtures continue to come thick and fast for Arsenal. The Emirates Stadium plays host to their Champions League league phase affair with Bayern Munich on November 26 before they travel to the west of the capital to face Enzo Maresca and Chelsea.